


The rhythm of your heart

by Shiro_nana



Series: Hearts AU [2]
Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Eventual Romance, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nino the matchmaker, sakumoto being sakumoto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-28 16:53:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15711381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiro_nana/pseuds/Shiro_nana
Summary: This Sho's side of the events in "The rhythm of my heart", with how Sakumoto finally confessed





	The rhythm of your heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rainbowemperor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowemperor/gifts), [pluvie_27](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pluvie_27/gifts).



“Someone! Call an ambulance!”

“There was an accident! People were hit by the truck!”

Sho was trying to move through the panicked crowd, searching for his best friend. He had still been in the backstage when he had heard a very loud noise, instantly going outside to see a truck that had completely crashed into the front part of the theater. That’s when he saw him. Nino was lying unconscious on the floor, with blood going out of many places in his body. One of his legs was stuck under the truck.

The ambulance ride was a big nightmare for Sho, who had insisted to ride with them, and the paramedics kept asking him a lot of questions about the incident. He was trying his best, being in a state of panic, crying and begging them to save his best friend. He had to be separated from him when they moved his still unconscious body to the ICU, praying for things to be alright. After waiting for what seemed to be an eternity, he was finally told what was going on.

“Sakurai-san. My name is Yamazaki Kohei and I will be the doctor in charge of Ninomiya Kazunari. We have already contacted Ninomiya-san’s family, and they won’t be able to make it before a couple of days, but they told me that you could be their representative until they’re here, as a manager and a trusted friend.”

“Please, sensei, tell me he’s ok.”

“Well the good news is that Ninomiya-san is still alive. He doesn’t have any fatal injuries or anything, but it seems that his head was hit quite hard, and he’s still unconscious. I don’t know how long it will be this way, but the chances that he won’t regain consciousness are very slim. He’s out of danger for the moment, but we can’t be completely sure about anything before he wakes up.”

Nino stayed unconscious for 10 days. Sho came every single day, updating his parents on the situation when they could finally be by his side. He stayed for as long as visiting hours allowed him, and sometimes even more – the nurses were charmed by him, and they allowed him to be with Nino beyond visiting hours sometimes. He was alone with his best friend when he heard the latter groan and saw a twitch of his fingers. He pushed on the call button repeatedly.

“Nurse! He moved!”

The nurse got closer and inspected the patient quickly.

“He’s regaining consciousness. I’ll call the doctor.”

Nino had his eyes wide open, but he seemed to be looking at nothing in particular. It was really weird, but maybe he was still not completely out of the coma, Sho thought. Yamazaki-sensei came in, and he introduced himself.

“Sensei… why are we in the dark? Does the examination have to be done in total darkness?”

It was really unfair. Nino was blind because of the accident, and no one could do anything about it. It was heartbreaking to see his friend trying to act tough as if nothing too important was happening, when he didn’t even have a high probability of recovering. He had bought the man’s medical file to many specialists, and they all mostly had the same conclusions as Yamazaki’s – some of them were even more pessimistic. He tried making things easier for Nino by reading him fan mail, and when he was discharged, he volunteered to stay with him until things got better – his family couldn’t be here all the time because of their work and obligations, but they were reassured to have Sho around, because they trusted him.

Matsumoto Jun had been recommended to him as a top choice when Sho had searched for a personal one-on-one trainer for the visually impaired. He apparently had enough experience, competences and patience, and he was available for everyday training. He sounded serious and very polite on the phone, and when he first came to Nino’s house, Sho didn’t know if the man was a blessing or a curse. He was gorgeous, kind, and when he took the blind man’s hands to put them on his face, smiling gently while he was being touched, Sho’s heart was a goner. It didn’t help that Matsumoto was close to his age and capable of handling his best friend’s sarcasm – when he was with them during some training sessions, trying not to blush when the trainer made him participate in the lesson.

“Sho-chan, how does J look like?”

The two friends were having a drink together in the living room when Nino had asked the question.

“Well… he’s around the same height as me, maybe slightly taller, but just a little. His hair is dark brown, almost back, and his eyes are…”

“Wait wait wait Sho-chan. I don’t want that kind of description. I want to know what he looks like to _you._ ”

Nino was smirking, and Sho knew that he had noticed his not-so-small crush on the trainer.

“He’s… well… he’s not bad to look at, I guess.”

“And he’s totally your type.”

“Ye…no! Okay… he is. He’s gorgeous.”

“You should totally make a move on him then. Cause it’s most probably mutual.”

“I can’t, Nino. He’s your trainer. It’s inappropriate. And he probably doesn’t even see me that way. Probably not even gay either.”

“Oh stop it with your proper guy attitude, Sho-chan. You guys like each other, and it’s obvious to the point that even me, a blind man, noticed it. And my gaydar doesn’t need eyes to see. You should stop being stubborn and go for it. You need to get laid!”

“Maybe I will. But not for now.”

Sho knew that Nino wasn’t done with him and he was right when he received a call from Matsumoto a couple of days after that conversation happened. He was telling him about his intension of getting his best friend out of his house, but still within a safe environment. He also asked him to accompany them to a home party that was hosted by a friend of his on Friday night.

Nino was trying hard to play matchmaker, and he insisted for Sho to take the seat next to the driver when Matsumoto came to pick them up. Sho sat there awkwardly, but he knew deep-down that his best friend was having a really hard time and that he was trying to hide his anxiety behind a façade, so he played along, and he even started singing with the song that was on the radio – he fell even more for the man after knowing his musical tastes.

Sakurai was relieved to see that Aiba Masaki was a good host, cheerful but not too pushy – even though he became quite excited when he realized who they were. He also noticed that something was happening between Nino and Ohno Satoshi, who was looking at him with eyes full of stars and sparkles. With the two men talking as if there was no one else around them, Sho went around to socialize a little, but he ended up staying with Mrs. Aiba, who excused herself at some point to verify that everything was going well with their dinner.

“Sho-san.” How could Matsumoto be that gorgeous with a pair of jeans and a light pink shirt? “Maybe we should take a small table to make things easier on Nino. He’s doing great with Ohno-kun, but I bet he would be overwhelmed if there were too many strangers around.”

Sho nodded, touched by how much consideration the other man was having. They filled their plates and sat down, followed by the other two.

When they left the party, Nino had Ohno’s phone number and a new nickname for him. When they arrived at the pianist’s house, Sho was about to get out of the car when Matsumoto suggested to accompany him to his house.

“That would be great, thank you J! I need to take a big nap anyway.”

Sho accompanied his best friend to the entrance of the building.

“Enjoy the romantic ride!” Nino teased him.

“You have to tell me about your own romance. I’ll call you later!”

With that, he went back to the car.

“He looks exhausted, but it went well. Thanks for inviting us, Matsumoto-kun!”

“It was a pleasure. I didn’t want Nino to feel uncomfortable, and it went better than what I expected, to be honest.”

“Yeah. I’m glad he met Ohno-san. And he usually doesn’t warm up to strangers that fast.”

“You really know him well, don’t you?”

“He’s my best friend. He’s always been here for me. When I have some hard decisions to make, when I organize auditions and interviews for new talents in the agency. He was also there in tough personal moments, never left my side when I fought with my own family because they wanted to force me into an arranged marriage.”

“It’s nice to know that you’re not alone. And I think that your presence is making things easier for Nino. He’s trying his best, especially when you’re with us during lessons. He wants to show you how much efforts he’s putting, and your reactions motivate him.”

“I wish I could do more, though. He’s trying to be his usual smartass and sarcastic self, but I can see that he’s depressed. It’s tough, and he doesn’t deserve this.”

“You’re doing more than anyone else would do, Sho-san. You shouldn’t carry this burden alone. I’m here, and now Ohno-kun is here too now.”

They were in front of the building where Sho lived.

“Thank you, Matsumoto-kun. I really appreciate it. You’re already doing a lot.”

He wanted to say something more, to tell him to come up for a drink. He was a coward though, and he opened the car door.

“It’s Jun, by the way. Don’t call me Matsumoto, Sho-san.”

It seemed that the younger man was also hesitating to say something else, but he ended up just smiling in an irresistible way, which made Sho feel weak.

“Goodnight, Jun-kun.”

“Goodnight Sho-san.”

-

“So, how was it with J yesterday?”

Nino didn’t look exhausted anymore, teasing Sho as soon as he entered his house the next morning.

“You did it on purpose, Nino! It was nice though. We had an interesting conversation.”

“And…?”

“What and?” Sho knew that he was blushing, and that his best friend could feel it even if he couldn’t see it.

“Oh come on! You both have it bad for each other! You should definitely make a move.”

“I will… But how about you? You seemed really comfortable with Ohno-san yesterday.”

“Are you changing the topic, Sho-chan?” Now it was Nino’s time to blush, unable to hide his timid smile.

“No! But he was looking at you with a lot of interest yesterday. And I’ve never seen you being that familiar with a person that you’ve just met before.”

“He’s interested in my music, ok? He’s a dancer, and I’m blind. I’m not exactly the kind of person he would go for.”

“Well I am not blind. And I wouldn’t look at my favorite composer as if he was Helen of Troy if I was only interested in his music.”

“Well… I don’t know, but he sent me a voice message. He wants to hang out.”

It was really obvious that Ohno had a crush on Nino, and Sho urged the latter to answer him. When Ohno’s enthusiastic reply came really fast, it was Sakurai’s turn to tease his friend.

-

Sakurai was quite nervous when he went with his best friend to the hospital for control examinations and tests, five months after the accident. To his dismay, Yamazaki sensei informed them that the chances of recovery were low, and that Nino might stay blind in a permanent way.

Sho could feel how devastated Nino was, because he was being more sarcastic than usual, and his jokes sounded more like a painful frustrated cry than anything else. He ended up leaving him alone, knowing that his best friend would continue pretending that everything was alright in front of him and that he needed time to vent out.

The next day, he was unable to go to the training session with Matsumoto – they were only three times a week now – but he contacted the latter after the lesson time.

**< Line chat between Jun and Sho>**

SS: Hello Jun-kun! I couldn’t make it today because something came up, but I wanted to ask you how Nino was…  
I’m really worried for him

MJ: Hi Sho-san. He did tell me about how it went in the hospital, but he acted like usual during our lesson.  
I think he feels down though  
Too much sarcasm XD

SS: You can know his moods from his humor now :)  
It’s really unfair  
Why him?  
That shouldn’t be happening  
And I feel useless  
He probably won’t be able to see again, and I can’t do anything about it

MJ: Don’t feel responsible for what’s happening Sho-san. It’s not your fault, ok?  
Plus Nino went out with Ohno-kun for the night. This might help him feel better  
I already told you before. You’re not alone in this. Don’t try to burden yourself more that you already are!

SS: You’re right… Thank you Jun-kun!  
Really

MJ: It’s ok.

**_A couple of days later_ **

MJ: Hi Sho-san. How are you? Are you coming to today’s training?

SS: Hello Jun-kun! I’m good and you?  
I won’t make it today either :( I might pass by Nino’s place later though

MJ: I’m fine!  
I see… I’m bringing some nice lunch for everyone, and I thought you might enjoy it

SS: Oh no :((( I really want to enjoy lunch with you. Are you free tomorrow at lunchtime? There’s this restaurant I really like, and I think you’ll like it too.

MJ: Sure :)

SS: Great! We can meet at Nakano station around 12:30. The place is a five-minute walk from there

MJ: Ok! See you there tomorrow

SS: See you tomorrow ^^

**< End chat>**

 

Jun was at the station at 12:20, and he was surprised to find that Sho was already there.

“Sho-san! Did I make you wait?”

“Not at all! I’ve been here for less than five minutes! We’re both early anyway.”

They walked through the busy streets of Nakano, until they arrived at the restaurant. It was a cozy local place, and the food was good. They had a really nice conversation, and they separated with the promise of meeting up like that more often.

They ended up having meals together at least once a week, and even though Sho never had the courage to make a move on the other man, he noticed the way Jun was looking at him sometimes.

Around the end of August, they had decided to go to a seafood place on Chiba’s coast before summer was completely over.

“You really enjoy clams, don’t you Sho-san.”

The way Sakurai was eating affected the younger man in a very inappropriate way. He shouldn’t be fighting a boner while observing someone stuffing their mouth with clams, dammit!

“When I was a kid, I used to spend summers with my family somewhere close to the sea, and there was this place that grilled freshly fished seafood, a little like this one. The owner called us the clam family!”

They both laughed.

“And you don’t go there anymore?”

“Well… it’s complicated. My sister got married, and she spends holidays in her husband’s hometown. My parents and my younger brother still go there, but I don’t think they would enjoy my presence much.”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

“My brother doesn’t care, but my parents have been distant ever since they knew that it was impossible for me, their eldest, to give them grandchildren. Remember how I told you that Nino stood beside me when they tried to force me into an arranged marriage?” Jun nodded. “That was all a result of me coming out as gay. They were in complete denial, and they tried to set me up with women even more than before, to the point that it was really suffocating. When they realized it was impossible, they cut all contact with me. My siblings supported me from the start, and my mother eventually came around, but things are still hard with my father.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. My family was pretty ok with my coming out, which happened very early anyway. And my parents are already satisfied with the three grandchildren my sis gave them. Her husband and her are even thinking of having a fourth one!”

“That’s nice! I only have one adorable nephew. He’s still a baby, so I don’t know if my sister is thinking of another child yet. My brother is still too young to even think of that.”

They continued talking about their families until they finished eating.

“Thanks for bringing me here, Jun-kun. Those clams were delicious!”

“It was Aiba-kun’s recommendation, actually. He’s from Chiba, and he’s also a seafood lover.”

“He recommended a really good place then. I’m so full.”

“Do you want to walk around a little bit? That way we can both digest a little, because I also feel really full.”

They walked on the beach, enjoying the quietness of the place – it was already too cold to swim, so there was almost no one there.

“Sho-san… Maybe we can go somewhere next summer. Somewhere with a beach and a lot of delicious clams. We could go with Ohno-kun, Nino and Aiba-kun’s family.”

“That would be awesome!” Sho’s enthusiastic smile then became a frown. “To think that Nino won’t be able to see the beach again…”

Jun stopped walking and grabbed Sho’s shoulders.

“You know, sometimes, I feel like you’re being even more pessimistic than Nino himself. You feel bad for what happened, as if you did it yourself. Nino still has a chance, and he needs positive people around him, even if his eyes never see again. You need to stop feeling so miserable, because that will affect him even more. He looks like he’s finally on the way to find peace and happiness, and I know he wants you to stop worrying about him so much.”

“I can’t help it! I was there when it happened! It should’ve been me… I should’ve been under that truck! I should…”

Sho found himself wrapped in a strong hug, and he cried even harder – he hadn’t even noticed the tears that were flowing on his cheeks while he was talking. He felt Jun’s hand caressing his back and his hair softly, heard him mutter some soothing words until he calmed down.

“I’m sorry… your t-shirt is all wat because of me. And I made this agreeable day bad because of my drama.”

“There is something that you and Nino have in common. You think that you’re burdening the people around you and keep apologizing when you show your weaknesses. Ohno-kun was persistent enough with your best friend, but it seems that you’re the most stubborn one. I hugged you because I wanted you to let go and to rely on me.”

“I’ve been relying on you already. You’ve been way more than a mere trainer for Nino.”

“For Nino. How about you? You should stop thinking about Nino for once and take care of your own self. Unless… you have feelings for Nino?”

“Not at all! He’s my best friend. We’re like siblings to each other!”

“But it seems that every time I’m with you, all you talk about is him!”

“Jun-kun, are you perhaps… jealous?”

Jun’s cheeks were rosy, and he was pouting adorably, which made Sho smile.

“What if I am jealous?”

“Well I’ve been feeling bad for wanting to do less than appropriate things with you ever since you walked into Nino’s house.”

“Oh gosh we’re both idiots” Jun sighed before putting his arms around Sho’s neck and kissing him.

They continued kissing and walking along the beach while holding hands for some time. When they decided to go back, the parking was empty, and both men used that to make out like crazy, Sho trapped between the car and Jun’s heated body. They were interrupted the latter’s phone ringing. They tried to ignore it at first, but it didn’t stop. It was Ohno.

“Hello? Ohno-kun?”

“Jun-kun… Do you have Sakurai-kun’s phone number?” He sounded really worried.

“He’s with me. Did something happen?”

“It’s Kazu… There’s nothing too serious, but he lost consciousness. We’re in the hospital.”

“Send me the address. We’ll be there as soon as possible.”

When they arrived at the hospital, Nino was still unconscious on a bed, with Ohno holding his hand. The latter reassured them, telling them that it was apparently a positive thing, since his boyfriend had distinguished his shadow before losing consciousness.

“The doctor told us that it would start with shadows and shape recognition if he were to recover his vision” Sho said with a tearful smile.

And recover he did. Nino was able to go out of the hospital a couple of days later, and his full vision came back little by little. When all was finally back to normal, Nino and Ohno invited Sakurai and Matsumoto at their place to celebrate, and they also promised to organize double dates and group outings with Aiba and his wife.

-

“So, you were the one who confessed, huh?”

Nino and Sho were having some quality time together – more like Nino made Sho treat him to some ramen in a local cheap place. The pianist wanted to know more about how Sho and Jun had finally gotten together, especially after the latter had told them who had confessed when Ohno had asked them a couple of days earlier.

“Yeah… I Kinda did.”

“You know I won’t be satisfied with that half-assed answer, Sho-chan. Tell me everything.”

“Ok… You know how we’ve been having lunch or dinner from time to time.”

“Yeah those not-dates dates of yours.”

“We were in Chiba on the day you started recovering. We had lunch and we walked on the beach. He was telling me to stop worrying about you so much, and things evolved to the point where he asked me if I had feelings for you. I told him it was impossible, and that I’ve been wanting to do… things to him ever since we met. And we kissed. And that’s it.”

Nino laughed loudly, to the point that the other customers looked at them curiously before returning to their food.

“After all this stubbornness and mutual pining, that’s so romantic!”

“Stop teasing me Nino!”

“I will eternally tease you and J about it. I can’t believe J was jealous of me! That’s hilarious. I’m glad you got your head out of your ass though. Now you left some space for J to but his dick in it.”

“Nino!”

“Oh, come on! Don’t tell me you guys didn’t fuck! You’re not children. And I can see the way you look at each other now, I’m not blind anymore, remember?”

Sho was all red, but he couldn’t stop from smiling.

“Okay, we did. And yes, he’s good.”

“I’m glad you’re getting some, finally. You’ll be able to focus on something else than work.”

“About work… I know you haven’t recovered long ago, but I’ve been thinking, whenever you’re ready, of a special comeback tour. Your fans have been encouraging you all this time, so I guess we could prepare something good. I’m not rushing you into it, though.”

“That’s a good idea.” Nino smiled mysteriously. “About that, I think I know exactly how we will do it. Right before I woke up from the 10-day coma when the accident happened, I made a dream. I didn’t give it much importance at that time, but I think it was a premonitory dream. Because Ohchan was there, and he was dancing while I was playing for him on a stage, and I didn’t even know him at the time.”

“I like that. Let’s make your dream a reality!”


End file.
